Always Winter
by TheRealRenee
Summary: // Chapter 8 now up \\ A heartbroken Chris Jericho turns to a consoling shoulder - Victoria... Victoria/Jericho, Lita/Edge, Trish, Christian, more
1. Default Chapter

These are my hands   
But what can they give me?   
These are my eyes   
But they cannot see   
These are my arms   
But they don't know tenderness   
And I must confess   
That I am usually drawn to sadness   
And loneliness has never been a stranger   
To me... 

He was full of rage as he stormed out of the Continental Airlines Arena, his anger not spent although he'd beaten the hell out of Matt Hardy moments earlier. 

He knew he'd gone overboard in his match, but damn it, he couldn't help it. And that jackass in the hallway with his microphone before that - he couldn't recall the new announcer's name, but the guy had pissed him off by asking idiotic questions. 'How did he feel about losing at WrestleMania last night'?? 'How did he feel about Trish Stratus' actions and betrayal'?? 

Jericho shoved his luggage into the backseat of his rental car, his mind running on all cylinders as the memory of the previous night ran through his brain. 

That bastard... His former best friend, Christian, was more sneaky than he'd ever given him credit for. And Trish... He still had trouble believing what she'd done... How terribly she'd hurt and betrayed him... They'd gotten closer, and he'd fallen in love with her. And while he'd been an asshole at the beginning, what with that bet he and Christian had made, he'd changed. 

Y2J slipped into the driver's seat of the vehicle and put the key in the ignition. All he wanted was to get the hell out of here. 

"Chris! Chris, wait!" 

Just as Jericho was about to press his foot to the accelerator to zoom off, he heard the feminine voice. He halted in his exit and looked up to see the diva rushing toward his rental. 

The window was open, so he peered out at her questioningly as she bent over to look into his face imploringly. 

"Victoria, what is it?" he asked wearily. As soon as the words left his lips, he wished he could take them back. He hadn't been cruel or cutting, but the raven-haired Women's champion winced nonetheless. 

"Chris, I..." The diva bit her lip, choosing her words carefully. "I'm so sorry about what happened to you last night. I wanted to tell you... if you need someone to talk to, I'm here..." 

"Thanks," the blond man said, his crystal-blue eyes sad as they gazed into her pretty face. He shook his head. "I'm not... Well, I'm not exactly wanting to talk right about now." 

"I understand..." Victoria hefted her bag higher on her shoulder. "Um... I don't want to inconvenience you or anything, but... would you give me a ride back to the hotel?" 

Jericho shrugged almost disinterestedly, not noticing the woman wince for the second time in a few minutes. 

"Sure, I guess..." He leaned over to unlock the passenger's side door, and the raven-haired woman slid in. 

They drove in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Victoria knew how Chris felt, and her heart ached for him. It was vile and disgusting, the way his once best friend and his best girl had screwed him over. 

Instead of spring   
It's always winter   
And my heart has always been   
A lonely hunter... 

"You know, I never did like that Trish Stratus," the Women's champion suddenly spoke up. 

Chris turned his head sharply in her direction, briefly taking his eyes off the road. Although initially angry, his demeanor calmed, and a sadness overtook him. Victoria found herself wincing at the degree of sorrow in the blond man's crystal-blue eyes. 

Then, surprising the diva, Jericho pulled the car over to the side of the road, causing her to think he was going to make her get out and walk the rest of the way. She was all set to apologize for what she'd said about the woman he'd obviously been so fond of but was even further surprised. 

The blond man's head was down for a good moment before he raised it again - giving her a clear view of the single tear that had escaped his left eye. Her heart hurt and her breath caught as it trickled down his cheek. He looked so sad and vulnerable that she herself felt like crying. 

After an awkward five minutes, Victoria found her voice again. 

"Oh, Chris... I'm so sorry." She leaned across the seat to the upset man, pulling him into her embrace, one of her hands stroking his long, soft blond hair. Her heart nearly broke as she felt his body heave with silent sobs. 

They stayed there like that for a long time, and Victoria vowed one thing to herself... 

...Somehow, she was going to help Chris forget all about Trish Stratus... 

Part 2 

Back 


	2. Chapter 2

Victoria bit her lip as she shifted her gaze sideways to Chris Jericho. The man had been mostly quiet after breaking down in front of her. 

She knew how he must be feeling - like crap, naturally - yet embarrassed at the same time. The raven-haired diva knew the outspoken blond man to be quite self-protective, stoic at times, and not one to express such emotion. She was certain Chris was now thinking of himself as weak. 

Typical guy... 

Now, they were at the hotel, and Jericho put the car in park in a free space across the street from the building. As he exited the vehicle and unlocked the back door to retrieve their bags, Victoria unlocked the passenger's side and departed as well. 

"Well, I don't know about you," the blond man said as he regarded the young woman, "but I could sure use a drink." 

The diva nodded. She expected as much, since she knew him to be a bit of a drinker. Nothing serious, but Jericho knew how to hold his liquor. 

They made their way into the hotel in relative silence, and Victoria figured they would be going their separate ways, but the blond man surprised her with other ideas. 

"Care to join me?" 

The jet black-haired woman looked up sharply, as though unsure she'd heard him correctly. 

"Excuse me?" 

Jericho fixed his clear blue eyes on her brown ones. 

"I asked if you'd care to join me in that drink," he reiterated. 

"Oh..." Victoria's breath caught in her throat. This was just the sort of opportunity she'd been waiting for - so she was definitely not going to pass up on it. "Yeah, sure... I think I will." 

The two headed for the hotel bar, suitcases in tow. They would retire to their rooms later on, but for now, Chris just wanted a good, stiff drink - probably a gin and tonic or something like that. 

With Victoria leading the way, the blond man couldn't help but notice the curve of the woman's hips and butt. She sure had a nice body on her - not that he'd never noticed that before. He'd always found her attractive, though he found her more so since she'd slimmed down a bit. Gorgeous hair, too... He wondered how silky the raven-mixed- with-red locks would feel in his fingers... 

"Uh oh..." 

The diva's sudden exclamation, as she stopped just in the bar's doorway, startled Chris. Victoria seemed reluctant to enter the small establishment, and he wondered why. 

"Come on... I have a better idea - instead of going in here, why don't we check out the liquor they have in your room?" She tried backing up, one arm around Jericho as though to steer him away from the bar. 

"What? Why not just go into-" The blond man turned back and was about to step inside when he caught sight of the reason - actually, reasons - Victoria wouldn't go inside... 

... Just beyond the bar, at a booth, snuggled up against one another, were Christian and Trish Stratus. 

As Jericho watched, the two who'd betrayed him so terribly laughed as they shared an apparently private joke. Then, to his disgust, they joined in a kiss, making a big production of it. 

He shook his head, a scowl coming to his face. He wanted to get the hell out of there, as far away from the bar and Trish and Christian as possible. 

"You're right..." he somehow managed to mutter. "Let's go to my room and raid the liquor bottles." He cast one last look of consternation at the lovey dovey pair in the bar. "Let's get the fuck out of here..." With that, Chris turned around sharply, muttering unintelligibly under his breath. 

Victoria took one last glance into the bar at the happy but devious blond couple, a frown on her face. Afterward, she quickened her step to catch up to Jericho. 

She really felt for him. What they'd done was horrible, unforgivable. And it was a damn shame the conspiring duo had been in the bar, that Chris had to see them. That was the last thing they both needed. 

Nonetheless, Victoria had her mind set in determination. Whatever it took, she was going to make Chris Jericho feel a whole lot better. 

Part 3 

Back 


	3. Chapter 3

Victoria eyed Chris as she sipped a paper cup full of Bacardi. She really wasn't much of a drinker, but she was making an exception in this case. And not that she was hoping he would get stone drunk so she could take advantage of him or anything, but she wanted Chris to unwind and relax a bit. Lord knew, he deserved to be able to do that after all the heartache and stress he'd been through. 

"I'm glad we came here," Jericho said as he guzzled down some liquor. "This is so much cozier than being in that old bar, anyway." He squinted his eyes slightly as he examined the dark- haired woman's face. His gaze lingered on her throat as she daintily swallowed her drink, and he licked his lips. Victoria really was quite a beautiful woman. He noticed the way she licked her own lips as she glanced down into the cup she held in her slim hand, and found himself wondering what it would be like to lick the tiny drops of Bacardi on them... 

... And hell, who was he fooling? As pathetic as he was, and so soon after getting his heart shattered by Trish the bitch, he couldn't deny the desire he felt to kiss Victoria. But she probably wouldn't appreciate it. For one thing, she'd probably say he was on the rebound, and he had a feeling she wasn't the type of woman to just have a fling. Not that he wanted a mere fling from her, but he was damn attracted to her and was having a lot of trouble repressing the urge to just jump her right here and now. And the other thing stopping him from making a move was that he doubted the attraction was mutual. She was nice to him and all, but Chris knew she had to only see him in a friendship sense and nothing else. After seeing him at his worst and lowest point, why would she be interested in him in any other sense? 

Jericho sighed and ran a hand through his long blond hair. A feeling of hopelessness ran through him as he turned back to retrieve the bottle. 

Victoria watched intently as the blond man poured himself another cup of liquor. She bit her lip, craning her neck as she watching from over his shoulder, as his back was now to her. She wondered what would happen, how he would react if she just reached out and grasped his shoulder, like she wanted to. She'd been daydreaming about putting her hands on him, running her hands through that beautiful golden hair and telling him how she truly felt. But she didn't want to do that just yet. She had to wait for the right moment - the perfect moment. 

Chris turned around to catch the diva gazing at him, the strangest expression in those brown eyes of hers. In fact, he couldn't quite read what was in them. 

He raised the bottle he still held in his left hand. 

"Care for another drink?" 

The raven-haired woman glanced quickly down into her paper cup. There were still a few sips left, so she shook her head. 

"I think I'm good." She raised the cup to her lips, finishing off what little she had. 

Jericho nodded and mumbled an almost unintelligible response, then drank some more of the Bacardi himself. After a few gulping sips that had Victoria watching him in shock, he spoke again. 

"You know what? I'm sorry I ever gave that dirty, disgusting, filthy, brutal, bottom-feeding trash-bag ho the time of day..." 

The diva arched a brow. 

"Isn't that what you used to call Stephanie McMahon?" she questioned, a slow smile spreading across her lips. 

Chris smirked. 

"Yeah, as a matter of fact, it is... I don't mean to rehash any of my old witticisms, but the phrase just seems to fit." 

"Oh, absolutely," Victoria agreed with a chuckle. She set her cup aside in case she wanted more liquor later on, and clasped her arms around her legs as she faced him. 

"See, the thing is, I don't even know how I ever got mixed up with her in the first place," the blond man continued. "I mean, this is the same woman who had a sleazy affair with the Big Mac himself, Vince!" His face took on a look of disgust. "She's admittedly slept with half the male roster, and as a general rule, I don't go for whores." 

"Hmm... Well, I can't say I blame you." Victoria reached up with one hand and tucked a lock of jet black mixed with auburn behind one ear. That was when she suddenly realized how intensely Chris was gazing at her. 

"Someone like you, on the other hand... You're real, and don't use men - or anyone - for your own agenda. And you're beautiful - inside and out." As soon as the words had left his lips, the blond man found himself wondering why it was that he'd never even given her a second look prior to tonight. But he knew the answer, and that answer's name was Trish Stratus... He'd been so locked up with his feelings for the trashy blonde that he'd never looked anywhere else, at anyone else. 

The dark-haired woman's lips parted, her mouth running somewhat dry as she absorbed his words. There was something about the way he'd spoken, about how he'd called her beautiful, that had her suddenly feeling weak in the knees. 

Then, to her further surprise, Jericho scooted over, closer to her on the Queen-sized bed, his face suddenly so near hers. She held her breath as their eyes locked and held, and suddenly his hand was on her cheek. 

Chris gazed into Victoria's dark eyes for a long moment, his emotions battling inside him. He wanted now, more than ever, in the worst way, to kiss her. And then, after a moment's more of a debate with himself, he leaned in, gently pulling her head closer to his... 

... And he kissed her. 

Part 4 

Back 


	4. Chapter 4

Victoria let out a soft, partially muffled cry as she and Chris continued kissing, the blond man repositioning her somewhat so that he cradled her in his strong arms. He moved one of his hands into her mass of dark hair, caressing it lightly as the kiss deepened. 

Her head was nearly spinning at the sensation of the blond man's tongue inside of her mouth, spiraling over her own. This all felt so surreal, and even though she wasn't drunk, she did feel slightly buzzed by the Bacardi. 

Jericho let out a soft groan as he moved his hand from Victoria's soft hair down the side of her body. He allowed his fingers to score gently over the sweet feminine curves, the combination of the booze, his heart being broken and his attraction toward the diva causing him to become easily aroused. As he deepened the kiss even more, one of Victoria's hands going up to hungrily tangle into a lock of his hair, something about this suddenly struck him as being very wrong... 

... He couldn't go any further with this. He liked and respected this woman a lot more than that. 

Abruptly, he released her, then shook his head and ran both hands through his long hair. He felt Victoria's brown eyes on him as he shook his head and spoke. 

"I'm sorry... I... I shouldn't have done that." 

The raven-haired diva blinked rapidly as she examined his handsome yet shame-filled face. He could barely look at her all of a sudden. Did he regret kissing her? It would be a horrible blow to her if that were the case. 

"What? Chris-" 

"Victoria, I..." Chris sighed and shook his head again, finally raising his head to meet her eyes with his own clear blue. "It's late and we're both a little drunk, and I don't want to take advantage of you or anything," he explained. He was embarrassed as he averted his gaze from hers. He'd noticed the change in expression on her lovely face. She was now eyeing him strangely - as though she couldn't believe what had just happened, what might have happened had he not pulled back and disallowed himself to go through with it. "We'd better call it a night." 

The dark-haired woman swallowed hard, the lump in her throat extremely uncomfortable. She felt as though she'd been punched, or hit in the stomach with a sledghammer. She felt the urge to start crying - and not merely crying, but bawling like a little girl. He was rejecting her, and it hurt so badly, it was unbearable. 

Reluctantly, she nodded, not able to utter a single word at that moment, and pushed herself up off the bed. She felt twin tears shining in her eyes as she headed toward the door. It was horrible... What she'd begun to think would become the greatest night of her life had been demoted to being one of her lowest points. 

As he followed her to the door, Chris' gaze was on her back, lingering on the long black and red hair, and his heart was hammering in his chest. Why had she looked so sad just now? And why was it that the mere idea of her leaving his hotel room tonight was killing him? 

"Vicki, wait..." His arm snaked out so that his hand went palm-flat against the door. 

The diva turned around to face him, her expression still so dejected, and Jericho couldn't help but feel a tugging at his heart. And that was when he noticed the unshed tears shining in her dark eyes. He moved his hand from the door to her chin, tipping her face up as he gazed deeply into her orbs. He thought he could read about a thousand different emotions in them. 

"Don't cry," he said softly, his heart nearly breaking at the expression on her face. "Don't cry, and don't go..." 

A single tear spilled down Victoria's cheek upon his soft words, and she felt her breath nearly taken away as he dipped his head to hers, kissing her again. She threw caution to the wind as she responded in kind, her arms coming up to encircle his neck as she kissed him back. She felt pleasant shivers chasing up and down her spine at the feel of his hands on her back, then sliding down to grip her waist. 

Chris raised his hands to cup her face, the kiss deepening as he tilted her head up slightly, a soft groan escaping him as the young woman pressed her body against his. 

Feeling as though he were about to go mad, the blond man slid his hands down again, his fingers just barely raising the hem of the diva's shirt. He tugged at it softly, almost shyly, tentatively, and that was when Victoria took over. 

The raven-haired diva's face wore a soft smile as she pulled back, lifting the shirt up over her head so that she was standing before him in only a black lacy bra. His blue eyes raked over her form with desire before Jericho acted. 

As they kissed again, the blond man lifted her up into his arms, his lips going to the cleavage peeking out from the top of her bra before moving to her own lips again. In a hurry, he carried her back to the bed, laying her down on it before turning his attention to his own clothing. He quickly removed his shirt, tossing it aside, and then went for his jeans, the diva sitting up to help him undo them. 

Before he knew what was happening - for it seemed they were out of their garments so quickly - Victoria took over, and she straddled him for a moment, gazing down at him tenderly, desire in her dark eyes. But she wanted to make him wait for a bit, wanted him to practically beg her for it... It wasn't because she was a cruel, heartless bitch, just because she wanted it to be the best possible experience. 

Chris gazed up at the raven-haired woman almost questioningly. She was on top of him, in her glorious nude splendor, but now she wasn't doing anything other than staring down at him. What was she trying to do, kill him? He thought he might go mad if she didn't just take him right now. 

"Do you want me, Chris?" she asked, her voice husky and seductive as she lowered her face close to his. 

The blond man nodded furtively, his crystal-blue eyes glazing over in his passion and arousal. 

"God, yes - I want you, Victoria..." 

"How much do you want me?" She raised her head just a bit, her soft long black hair feeling like silk as it brushed against his chest and shoulders and face. She moved one hand to his face, tracing his features lazily with her forefinger. She lingered the longest on his lips, inserting the tip of her finger into his mouth. 

"Come on, you're killing me here..." Chris moaned, his expression growing pained. He was well more than ready for her, and the truth was, he wanted Victoria more than he'd ever wanted any woman before. 

The raven-haired diva laughed softly, all of her prior tears long forgotten as she slowly lowered herself onto him, then leaned forward again to meet his lips. Jericho pulled her head down to his and deepened the kiss, his breath coming fast at the sensation of her tightly around him. 

It went on and on, and the pleasure built up inside of Victoria as she continued to ride him, the scream she felt bubbling to her lips instead coming out as a drawn-out moan. She followed it with his name, her gaze locking with his as her ecstasy petered out. 

Chris soon went over as well, the pleasure clear on the diva's face enough for him. He pulled her tautly down to him, catching her lips in another searing kiss as he came, holding her still for a long moment. 

Afterward, he gave her another kiss, and she let out a soft chuckle as she lay her head on his chest. As Jericho stroked her hair, Victoria knew that he'd forgotten all about a certain tiny blonde - and that, after tonight, Chris would never think about her again. 

Part 5 

Back 


	5. Chapter 5

Chris awoke at the first rays of sunlight filtering in through the windows. He squinted against the glare, not being a morning person in the slightest - and that was when he saw her - and all that had happened the previous night came rushing back to him. 

Her bare bare was to him, her long black hair mixed with tinges of deep red spread like a fan over the pillow. Victoria... She'd been with him last night, comforted him after... He didn't want to remember that part. 

And then, later, they'd come up here to his hotel room. He'd raided the mini-bar and ransacked the tiny bottles of liquor. They'd been drinking, although he recalled she hadn't consumed all that much. 

They'd slept together... To say the sex had been merely good would be the understatement of the year - it had been great. And beside the physical one, Chris has felt as though he and Victoria had made a real connection. 

Despite all of this, the blond man sighed sadly. He'd been beyond vulnerable last night, after seeing Trish with Christian in the hotel bar, the pair all lovey-dovey. It had made him want to puke his guts out. He hated Christian. Hell, he hated Trish now as well. Yet why was he feeling miserable right now, and as though he'd taken advantage of the woman who lay asleep beside him? 

He ran a hand through his hair, another sigh escaping him. He shut his eyes tightly, hating himself for having allowed last night to happen. He liked Victoria a lot, he really did. He cared about her, but the timing was just so bad. He should have turned her away, no matter how much it might have stung. But no - like a typical guy, he'd wanted to get laid, and so he'd figuratively jumped in feet first. 

He only hoped things would not be too awkward between them after this. He knew that, if last night had happened a few months or even weeks later, they could probably even have a relationship. Of course, there was no going back - so he decided there was no point in dwelling in what should have been. 

Suddenly, Jericho felt Victoria rousing beside him, her body giving a sleepy little shudder before he could feel her turn over onto her back. She yawned softly, and, his eyes still closed, he could feel her stretching. He imagined her arms were probably up above her head, but he knew her legs had come into play as well, as one of her bare and incredibly soft feet just barely brushed against his leg. 

Then, all was momentarily still and he sensed her gaze on him. He managed to suppress a frustrated and sad groan as, a moment later, he felt the softness of her cheek against his chest as she lay partly over him. 

Damn it... The feel of her soft skin, her long silken ebony hair, and her sweet feminine scent were all more than he could bear. He couldn't harden himself to just tossing this woman aside, even though he knew deep down that last night had been a moment of weakness, a rebound. 

He felt her hand coming up to gently caress his hair, and the gesture was so tender and sweet, it nearly broke his heart. And he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he couldn't hurt Victoria. Intentionally or otherwise, he simply couldn't hurt her. 

Deciding to let her know he was indeed awake, Chris slipped an arm around the diva, his fingers caressing at her black and red locks. A moment later, he found her cheek and fingered the soft skin lightly, lovingly. 

It wasn't much longer after that he felt her reposition herself. Her soft lips were suddenly upon his - and he found himself kissing her back. 

Part 6 

Back 


	6. Chapter 6

Victoria was thoughtfully silent during the drive to the arena, a feeling of warmth rushing through her as she turned to gaze at Chris behind the wheel. He'd been so sweet to her the previous night, and again this morning. And she definitely enjoyed waking up in his arms, her head on his chest. It had brought her so much peace.

The blond man suddenly pulled the rental car into the parking lot, as they were finally at their destination. He pulled the vehicle into a spot, put it in park and neutral, then undid his seatbelt. He rushed over to the passenger's side just as the Women's champion unlocked the door, opening it and reaching a hand down to her. He wanted to be nothing but chivalrous to the diva.

The raven-haired woman smiled softly as she met his clear blue eyes. Offering him her right hand, she allowed him to help her out of the car. A rush of warmth swirled through her, incredible sensations shooting throughout her body at the physical contact.

Chris smiled at her, giving the back of her dainty hand a sweet kiss before he trotted off to the trunk. He opened it and reached in for both their bags. Victoria stood just behind him to his right, her gaze fixed on his back and long blond hair as he worked. As she continued watching him, for some reason, she felt eyes on them.

Jericho hefted Victoria's bag up and over his shoulder and lifted up his own. He reached his free hand to her, taking gentle grasp of her much smaller one. It was only as they'd began making their way across the parking lot and to the arena's back entrance that the blond man suddenly took notice of something.

His jaw clenched so tightly, it was uncomfortable, his blood pressure increasing somewhat as he caught sight of them - Trish Stratus and Christian, the pair locked in a passionate embrace and kiss. He and Victoria stopped for a second as he openly stared, noting how Christian turned the little blonde around slightly, pressing her back up against their rental car as he deepened the kiss.

Victoria's breath caught in her throat as she detected the very obvious change in Chris' demeanor, and in his body. His grip on her hand tightened ever so slightly, and she winced - not because it hurt her hand, but because she could tell the very obvious effect Christian and Trish were having on him. Why couldn't he just let it go and forget? After all, he had her now. She felt a twinge of pain in her heart.

"Chris?"

The raven-haired woman's voice penetrated his bitter thoughts, and he turned his head to meet her dark eyes.

"Can we go inside?" she murmured. She tried her best not to show him how badly his reaction was affecting her. She only hoped she wasn't completely transparent.

"Yeah... Sure, Vic," he agreed with a nod. "Sure we can. Come on." He released her hand, much to her dismay, then started walking briskly toward the entrance.

Victoria winced as she did her best to keep up with him.

She entered the divas' locker room, exhaling a sigh as she glanced over her shoulder to watch Jericho leave.

Her heart sank as she walked into the room, her gaze instantly going to another woman present. Lita slowly paced the length of the area as she spoke on her cell phone, her head down, one hand pushing back a lock of her long red hair behind her ear.

"I know, baby," the redhead said softly into the phone. "I miss you, too... But you'll be back in less than a week, and then we'll see each other all the time." A smile spread across her face as she raised her gaze, suddenly catching sight of Victoria. She raised a hand toward the raven-haired woman, gesturing with a finger as she could see her friend obviously needed to talk. "I know, Edge." Lita laughed softly, a small blush tickling at her cheeks at her boyfriend's words. "Oh, I'm looking forward to that, too - you know I am."

Victoria sat down, guilt consuming her as she kept her eyes on the other diva. She couldn't help feeling so envious of the redhead. After all, she and Edge were absolutely crazy about each other, and Lita knew exactly where she stood with the tall blond man. She just wished she could feel secure about her newfound relationship with Chris.

"I love you, too," Lita was saying, and by now she was beaming. The bright smile remained on her face as she flipped her cell phone to a close and turned to face the Women's champion. "I can't wait until next week's RAW," she said.

The raven-haired diva forced a smile she didn't feel for her friend's benefit. She knew Edge would be returning after his more than a year long absence due to his broken neck and subsequent surgery. In fact, all the superstars would be on RAW due to the draft lottery Mr. McMahon had announced the previous night. She only hoped she and Chris would not be separated, one of them sent to SmackDown. She didn't know what she might do if that happened.

"What's the matter, Vicki?" The redhead realized the dark-haired woman looked a bit upset.

Victoria sighed.

"Lita... I really need to talk to you," she answered. "It's about me and... Chris," she said softly.

The redhead arched a brow at those words.

"Chris? Benoit or Jericho?" She couldn't recall the other diva having had talked much about either the new World Heavyweight champion or Y2J.

"Jericho... Something... Well, something happened between us last night, and I'm worried."

The redheaded woman glanced around the locker room, her gaze falling on the two other divas present - Stacy Keibler and Lilian Garcia. Neither seemed to be listening to them. She pulled the darker woman closer to the corner to talk more discreetly, and Victoria took a deep breath as she began to explain. 

Part 7

Back


	7. Chapter 7

Victoria smiled despite the unease she still felt about herself and Jericho. She couldn't help it when she laid eyes on Lita and Edge. They were so much in love with each other, and the tall blond man, while he could be sort of gruff and standoffish at times, was so amusing around the redhead. It was as though he would just turn into a puddle of mush around her.

They were in the catering room, sharing a table and gazing at one another more so than they were eating. The redheaded diva was smiling and laughing at something the blond man said and then raised a hand to his cheek. Victoria couldn't help feeling somewhat guilty as she spied on them. They were completely oblivous that anyone was watching them.

Her mind made up, the raven-haired woman slowly approached their table, somewhat sorry that she was about to interrupt the lovebirds.

"Hey," Lita said as she looked up and caught sight of her. She and Edge were holding hands, and she glanced from the other diva back to her boyfriend. "Edge, you remember Victoria, right?"

"Yeah, of course," the tall blond man said, offering the dark-haired woman a smile. "Way to go on your victory at WrestleMania," he added.

"Thanks... It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise," the Canadian said.

"And you'll be seeing him plenty now," Lita said happily. The redhead was positively beaming. Some of the picks had already been chosen by the General Managers in the draft lottery taking place that evening. Edge had been Eric Bischoff's fourth pick, and the redhead had been so thrilled that she'd jumped up and down and caused quite a commotion in the RAW roster room.

Victoria felt a small smile touching her lips at the joy on her friend's face. She only wished she could feel as happy about herself and Chris...

"Well," Edge spoke up, releasing his girlfriend's hand and getting to his feet. He was all decked out in black leather, and Victoria couldn't help but think of Jericho yet again. The other blond man was famous for his black leather outfits when he performed with his band, Fozzy.

"I have to run for a bit," the Canadian went on, cutting through the Women's Champion's thoughts.

"Why?" Lita asked, cocking her head to one side as she gazed up at him. "What do you have to do?"

A grin came to the tall blond man's handsome face - and somehow, Victoria sensed he had something planned, something he hadn't divulged to his girlfriend.

"You'll see, sweetie." He didn't offer any clues as he winked at her, giving the two divas a small smile and walked off.

Victoria took the seat Edge had just vacated and eyed her friend.

"What the heck does he have up his sleeve?" Lita wondered aloud. She knew Edge, and somehow, she knew he was up to something. She just hoped whatever it was, he wouldn't get himself in any trouble.

Several minutes later, the two divas were eating a light snack and talking when they heard more female voices. As the Women's Champion glanced up, her stomach tied in a knot as she realized that one of the three divas who'd just stepped in was none other than Trish Stratus.

Lita glanced openly at the women. Trish was accompanied by Molly Holly and Gail Kim - two women she'd had her fair share of problems with in past months. She turned to face forward again, meeting Victoria's dark eyes and made a face.

"Anyhow," she said, resuming the conversation they'd been having before the interruption, "do you think I should go and try to find him? I really don't want him to do anything rash..."

The Women's Champion was about to answer when an obnoxious voice interrupted, preventing her from issuing a response.

"Well, look who's here?" Trish scoffed from the nearby table she and the other two divas had claimed. "You know, ladies - _someone_ around here likes leftovers..."

Victoria could see a snide smile cross Molly's face, and she heard a giggle coming from Gail.

"... Well, at least _my_ leftovers." This time, all three of the women were bursting with giggling laughter.

The Women's Champion looked away, closing her eyes briefly and inhaling a deep breath. Obviously, the pushy little blonde was referring to her - and to Chris as the 'leftovers.' What a bitch...

"Well, you know what they say," Gail Kim said. "Those who can't get firsts get other people's leftovers!" Again, the three bitches giggled - this time even more loudly.

Victoria felt tears burning behind her eyelids and stood up, pushing the chair back. She didn't need to sit here and take this. It hurt enough as it was that Jericho had been in love with Trish and had accepted _her_ as an afterthought. She had to get out of here.

"Vicki, wait!" Lita called after her friend. But the raven-haired woman rushed from the room.

The redhead turned to openly glare at the three other woman, her head shaking as her arms crossed over her breasts.

"You know what? Fuck you all!" As they all gaped at her, she too left catering.


	8. Chapter 8

Chris Jericho shook his head at his friend's actions. It was so unbelievable, yet at the same time, it didn't really surprise him all that much. The more he thought about it, it _wasn't_ really shocking that Edge had speared RAW General Manager Eric Bischoff.

His thoughts turned bitter, the smile vanishing from his face as he thought about Trish Stratus and that creepy little bastard, Christian. The pair had been closer than two peas in a pod in the RAW superstars' room, complete with his former friend actually touching the little blonde's breast in spite of the fact that there were so many other people around. He'd seen the display, all right - and it had downright sickened him.

On that thought, he wondered where Victoria was. He hadn't seen much of the raven-haired Women's Champion since they'd arrived at the arena.

As though following on cue with his thoughts, Chris looked up to see a familiar and welcome face - Lita stepped into the catering room in which he sat and approached him.

"Hey, Chris... I've been looking for you."

"Hey, Red."

The diva glanced around despite the fact that they were definitely alone, then bent over the table.

"I think you should know a few things," she blurted in a soft voice.

Jericho arched a brow, awaiting her to continue. He wondered what was up but knew it could be any number of things.

"What is it?"

"Well, for starters," the redhead began, "you should know that Victoria is very upset."

The blond man felt his heart nearly stop.

"She is? Why?" he asked.

"Trish and her little cronies had some rotten remarks to direct her way," Lita revealed, her pretty face growing angry. "You know how it is - they were talking among themselves but loudly enough so she overheard everything - on purpose, of course."

"Of course," he muttered. He couldn't help but wonder what kind of hateful things Trish had uttered to upset Victoria so badly.

"You know," Lita went on, reaching out with one hand to lightly touch Jericho's shoulder, "you oughta go find her... I tried to cheer her up, but I'm guessing she needs _you_ to do that."

Chris blinked, his clear blue eyes taking on a slightly faraway look as he felt a myriad of emotions sweeping over him. And damn it, the redhead was right. He should go find Victoria and talk to her.

"I gotta go run," Lita said. "There's a certain blond Canadian I need to go see and talk to." She hooked a thumb over her shoulder, a slightly anxious expression overtaking her features at her mention of Edge. Chris knew the redhead had to be worried after her boyfriend's actions against Bischoff.

"Go find Victoria!" she exclaimed before she trotted off.

Jericho watched his diva friend leave the catering room, a definite purpose in her stride. It was very clear how very much she cared for Edge. He wondered if anyone would ever care that much about him - and then, he wondered if that person would or _could_ be Victoria.

Determined, Jericho stood up and left the room.

**_A/N: Thanks to all who have been reviewing this story! I appreciate it so much. ;) Okay, here's the deal... I haven't got anymore chapters for this one and haven't written any in about 4 years - yes, this is an OLD fic. However, the good news is that I've been writing a LOT lately, including updating very old incomplete fics that I haven't touched or even looked at in years. I will try my best to get out a new chapter soon, though it probably won't be up anytime soon._**


End file.
